1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission apparatus of an all-terrain vehicle having, in a power transmission path from an engine to drive wheels, a non-stage transmission, such as V belt non-stage transmission, and a forward and backward movement switching device capable of switching to a forward movement position, neutral position, or backward movement position.
2. Description of the Related Art
In this kind of all-terrain vehicle, a forward and backward movement switching device installed on the vehicle together with a non-stage transmission such as a V belt non-stage transmission is shifted to the forward movement position during regular running. The speed is automatically changed by the V belt non-stage transmission during running. If necessary, the vehicle is stopped once, the forward and backward movement switching device is shifted to the backward movement position, and the vehicle is restarted running.
As a shift operation device for operating the forward and backward movement switching device, conventionally, a lever type shift operation device is arranged in the neighborhood of a fuel tank which is positioned in front of a seat of the vehicle. The forward and backward movement switching device is shifted to the forward movement position or backward movement position by operating a shift lever of the lever type shift operation device, as described in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 8-337131 and Japanese patent publication No. 3040971, etc.
In the forward and backward movement switching device described in the above-mentioned publications, the shift lever is arranged, for example, in a gate plate having an H-type or I-type guide slit and switches to the neutral position, forward movement position, or backward movement position by moving the shift lever along the guide slit.
In the vehicle that the shift operation device for switching forward and backward movement positions is arranged near the fuel tank which is far away from a grip of a handle, the rider must release his hand from the grip in order to grasp the shift lever and perform the shift operation viewing the gate plate. Therefore, the rider cannot operate the shift lever in the same riding posture as that during running so that the shift operation is made troublesome. Further, in the case that the shift lever is arranged near the fuel tank, the space around the legs of the rider is limited.